A Grain of Hope
by Swimming Crackers
Summary: Hope. Evelyn clings to hope, dangling from a sharp cliff, into a raging ocean below. She's torn from her father, and forced to live with the Potter's for the rest of the Summer until she returns to Hogwarts where she learns how much Death Eaters have changed her life. And she finds herself falling, her rope of hope no longer strong enough to hold her weight.
1. Intro

**A/N: Hi! It's Melissa once again! I had this idea (That I think is brilliant.), and I couldn't resist but write it, I still plan on finishing One Wave, the updates might just take a bit longer, so I'm sorry if anyone was really excited about that book. Oops. Anyway, please comment, and enjoy!**

"DAD!" I screamed, my voice cracking with hysteria, I drew my wand out from my worn shirt. The waves crashed against our boat in a frenzy, as the wind whipped us around. My hand was gripping the rail so hard my knuckles had turned white.

"Stay Below." I told him. I could see them coming, they road broomsticks, knowing it would be impossible to apparate here. If only I had thought to bring my own. I began muttering all of the shielding spells I knew under my breath, trying to keep the boat safe.

I watched as light domes formed over the boat. I kept up at it, until I was sure I'd have at least a minute to go down below and grab the button. The button that would hopefully save me.

I ran down below and grabbed it. It was brown and looked a bit like a pendant for a necklace, but it wasn't a necklace, it was something much greater. I climbed up ladder just in time to see the first death eater to break through my defenses. I pressed the button.

"I need help. I'm in the celtic sea. I am sending a distress signal now. Bring your brooms." I said in a rush releasing the button, and letting the pendant fall to the deck. I with drew my wand, and shivered. I had been preparing to go to bed, I was wearing short shorts, and a worn t-shirt that covered my shorts making it seem like I wasn't wearing pants.

At least I was wearing a bra, and my hair was in a ponytail so I could see. I wished I would have brought a life vest out too, I thought, right before the first death eater landed on our boat.

He didn't waste time sending a crucio at me. I ducked and jumped up on the deck, out of the cockpit. I knew this boat better then they ever would. Most of them had trouble standing up straight as the boat dipped and dived, the waves making it hard to stand.

But I had grown up on this boat, my bare tan feet stood firmly planted on the deck, while the Death Eater's lost their footing, making fools of themselves.

It was their weakness, they were to focused on not being thrown off the boat or puking, they were not paying attention to me. I got a few stupefy's in before they finally realized their mistakes.

3 Death Eaters laid in the cockpit. 4 came straight at me on their brooms. 7 people came to take me out, I almost gave up hope. Those other three had been luck, I may be great at Charms and DADA, but I wasn't this good. I was going to be in my sixth year in three months. I wasn't nearly as skilled as the Death Eaters that were out to get me.

I barely had time to fear though because One Death Eater went flying off his broom, and splatted, his blood spraying on me, on the deck.

I watched as people, who I didn't even know fired at the Death Eaters. The Death Eaters all fell, one by one, some landing on the boat, others in the raging waters, but soon there were no more black cloaks flying in the sky like ghosts coming to haunt me.

I watched as one of the people came flying down to me. He looked tired, and worn, but he still pulled a smile on his face.

"Mr. Potter." He extended his hand, I took it, and shook it.

"Evelyn Kennard." I breathed, sounding more collected then I felt.

"I am going to apparate you to my home-" He began in a buisness like tone.

"My dad, he's down below, I can't leave him." I told the man in a rushed and panicked tone.

"You have to, It'll be safer for both of you." Mr. Potter told me regretfully.

"No. I'll move, change my name. I don't care, _he's my dad_. I'm not leaving him." I put my foot down. Mr. Potter sighed.

"The only way to keep you two together is if you stop attending Hogwarts, hand your wand into the ministry, and living in the country side, with a different name, and without any contact to anyone. Are you willing to do that?" Mr. Potter demanded. I looked at my feet questioning the idea.

"The Death Eater's will win. This is what they want, they want perfectly capable witches and wizards like yourself to be afraid, and give up your magical talent." Mr. Potter told me.

"He's my father." I said, my voice broken, and upset.

"We'll keep him safe, and when this war is over, you can reunite." Mr. Potter reassured me.

"You promise?" I asked him, looking up from my bare feet and up at Mr. Potter.

"Yes. I promise." Mr. Potter told me.

"Where would I stay?" I asked.

"My house." Mr. Potter said.

"Thank you." I told him.

"You're welcome. Do you need to pack anything?" Mr. Potter asked, I nodded. He let me be, as I climbed down the ladder. I stared at my father who was sitting on the couch, his head in his hands. He looked a lot older, and more tired. Like twenty years had passed in the last twenty minutes, from the time I brushed my teeth, while he organized the charts, to when I had walked down here.

"I heard what you said." My Dad stated, and I rushed over to him.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered into his shirt.

"It's alright." He sighed, tickling my head.

"I'm gonna miss you." I sniffled.

"I'll miss you too." He sighed.

"Promise me-" He had to take a deep breath when he pulled away from our hug, to stop himself from crying.

"Promise me you won't let them win. Promise me you'll prove everyone wrong, and be- be better than those stupid pure bloods, because you are, in here." He patted his heart, and his inspiring words, made another wave of tears fall from my eyes.

"I will Dad." I sobbed.

"No pack up. I have to get back home, and catch a flight to Australia." My father laughed.

"Okay." I nodded. I went into my cabin, the one I never slept in, as I always slept outside. I packed my record player, my mother's wedding ring, my school trunk, my broom, and my muggle clothes. I didn't have any shoes that weren't in my trunk.

I charmed it to be lighter, figuring I was already in enough trouble for creating a bunch of shields to surround the boat, and then stunning a bunch of death Eaters. I carried it all up on deck, where the night cloaked everything. The only reason I was able to maneuver the boat was because I used to live on this boat, year round.

I knew I smelt like the ocean, salt coating my skin, and turning my blonde hair stringy and my skin tan and freckled, but I didn't mind. I grabbed Mr. Potter's hand tightly as he apparated us far away. Far from the calming ocean, and far from the boat that I grew up on. Far from my father and far from my life. Far from my past.

But close to my Future. Close to my hope, and close to safety. Close to a place that will turn my life upside down once more, to the place where my story starts, the one that people want to listen to.

The one that changes everything, and turns it into something far from the original story.


	2. Laughter

I opened my eyes after the nasal tug had receded. I looked around my surroundings to see a large manor, with manicured lawns and impressive gargoyles. The tall brick walls were clean, and the imposing front door was huge, and I could make out all of the features in the house at the dead of night.

The wet grass was cold on my bare feet, and I felt little compared to the large house. The ground felt to sturdy, and hard. I felt my stomach drop as I realized that I might not see my father for a while. This was worse than my first year at Hogwarts.

I might not ever see my Father again.

I rolled my trunk, and my things down the gravel path following Mr. Potter. When we walked up the marble steps to the front door, his fancy shoes clicked, the noise echoing around the empty field. My feet had a dull thud, that was barely loud enough for me to hear it. The marble was cold, but it was refreshing. I felt wide awake.

Mr. Potter opened up the front door, it didn't squeak. I stepped inside, looking at the ostentatious grand hall. There were two sets of stairs that entered to a balcony of sorts. Ancient family portraits lined all of the walls, and there wasn't a speck of dust anywhere. The whole place smelled a bit like a fire place, and cinnamon.

"James come here." Mr. Potter barely rose his voice yet I could hear his command bounce off of all of the manor walls.

Mr. Potter and I stood perfectly still and silent for less then a minute before James Potter came walking down the steps.

James Potter was our Quidditch Captian, I was the Beater. I was pretty sure James was Mr. Potter's son when I met him, but I never really thought about it past that.

I was going to be living in the same house as James Potter, notorious prankster.

"Yes Father?" James asked coldly as he entered the large room. He caught sight of me, and his eyebrows raised.

"Evie?" He asked, his tone a lot less hard and cold.

"No. I'm Sirius Black." I told him sarcastically, but it came out empty, and a lot less bitingly.

"Oh no! Where's the nearest exist?." James joked.

"James. Evelyn will be staying with us for the remainder of the summer. Will you show her to a guest room?" Mr. Potter demanded.

"Sure." James said, expressionlessly.

"Thank you." Mr. Potter said politely before leaving. James watched him walk through the archway into what seemed to be a dinning area. He turned back to look at me after we heard the signature pop of dissaparating.

"So, where are your shoes and pants?" James asked amused.

"I'm wearing shorts." I told him lifting up my shirt.

"Oh." James said amused. "Well, follow me." James said, and I walked up the stairs following him.

We walked to the left, and past a couple doors, until James stopped.

"Right here, is my room." He pointed towards across the hall to a door that was a darker color of wood then all of the others.

"The room next to yours is the one Sirius stays in, he'll be coming in two days." James told me.

"The only rules are no screaming, no playing the Beatles, and no making any sort of noise before breakfast is made and before 11 am." James told me.

"What! No Beatles!?" I exclaimed angrily.

"Fine. Beatles." James rolled his eyes.

"Okay. Good night then." I told him turning the door.

"Good night to you to." James said before walking into his room.

I turned the light on when I walked in. The room looked like a fancy hotel room. There was pristine wood floors, generic bedding, and a four poster bed, with a vanity and a desk in the corner. There was two doors.

One led to a completely white bathroom, and the other led to an empty closet. There was an alarm clock on the bed side table.

It was nearly midnight. I opened up my trunk and sifted through my belongings. Here I had all of my wizarding things, books, robes, cauldrons, and shoes. In my other bag, I had my record player, a 3 pairs of jeans, a couple t-shirts, sunglasses, 2 swim suits, my mother's ring on a necklace, and my dad's sweatshirt.

I didn't unpack anything, and instead I just laid on the bed, having a hard time actually sleeping since there was nothing rocking me back and forth. I stared at the ceiling, in all of it's grandness, wishing more then anything that it was the night sky, shinning back down at me.

When the sun was rising, I finally fell asleep.

"Evie, wake up!" James Potter sang, his voice annoying.

"I'm trying to sleep." I groggily said.

"If you don't get up in 25 seconds, I will come in, and dump cold water on you." James Potter demanded.

I ignored him, pulling the comforter over my head, and humming in happiness as the warmth of the comforter now covered my neck. It was so soft. I buried my head into my pillow.

James started poking me on the cheek. I angrily grumbled, and pulled the comforter over my head.

"You asked for it!" James cried like a mad man, and dumped water on me.

"YOU DIPSHIT!" I screamed, jumping up and tackling him.

"Hey! I warned you!" He cried with an oomph as he hit the floor.

I got off him, and glared. My bed head, which was frightful, was dripping wet along with my hair. My shirt was sticking to my skin, and my shorts were sagging with the weight of water.

"You look like a monster." James snorted, and I kicked him in the shin. He started jumping on one foot, while he cradled his leg to his stomach.

"You look stupid." I laughed at him.

"Shut up." He huffed scowling at me.

"I'm taking a shower." I announced grabbing some clean clothes and a towel.

"Is that an invitation." James said wiggling his eyebrows.

"Tame your inner pervert." I told him, shutting, and locking the door. I turned the water on, and stepped in. I washed and conditioned my hair, taking the salt that's been living in it out. I washed my legs, and shaved them.

I stepped out and looked at myself. My curly blonde hair, was already drying. My cheeks were tan and freckled, and my I had a weird tan, where you could see how I tanned with the swim suit I wore most of the time on deck. My shoulders, cheeks, nose, and right above my knees were considerably more tan then the rest of my body.

I pulled my pants on, and my shirt. I stretched, I was once again wearing short high waisted shorts and a frayed tie-die t-shirt. I wasn't wearing any shoes, and I stepped out, using my back to push the door open.

James was sitting on my bed, playing with what looked like a mini broom, he was flying it all around the room, making it drop and sky rocket.

"Ready for breakfast?" James asked.

"Yeah." I said, and he got off my bed, and led me out of my room.

When we got to the grand foyer, James sat on the banister, and slid down it, landing perfectly on his feet. I sat on the bannister, placing my hands on either side of it to steady myself, and I slid down.

I fell off the bannister with no grace, on my ass. I jumped up and grinned at James.

"That was awesome." I exclaimed, exhilarated by it.

"Well off to the kitchen!" James exclaimed.

We walked to the kitchen, on the way we passed an empty room with large windows, and cold stone floor, an extravagant dinning room, and then we walked into the kitchen. The door was small and situated in the corner of the dinning room, like it wasn't really supposed to be noticed by the guests.

The kitchen had 4 houselves chatting in it, and making waffles. The House Elves looked happy, as they walked around the kitchen, cooking and cleaning. The counters were all wooden, and there was a nice wood table in the middle, with chairs by it, James plopped at the table, and one of the elves gave him a plate of waffles.

"Thanks Chippy." James sang to her, and she smiled, and bowed in return.

I sat down too, and Chippy gave me some waffles.

"Thanks!" I chirped, and she blushed, bowing too.

We ate happily, discussing Quidditch, and what we wanted to do today.

"We could go see the Puddlemere united game next month!" James exclaimed.

"They're playing against the Chudley Cannons. Puddlemore is gonna cream them." I said, pouring syrup over my sixth waffle. I squirted whipped cream on top.

"Chippy could you please get me the Daily Profit?" James asked the house elf.

"Sure sir!" She chirped apparating away, to return a second later with the daily profit in hand.

"Thanks." He said, so absorbed in the news that he didn't even look up from the profit.

"Ah! Here it is!" James cried, startling me, and causing me to choke on my waffles.

"A Puddlemore United game against the Ballycastle Bats!" James cried.

"No way! Are there still tickets left?" I asked, jumping over his shoulder.

"Yeah! We just have to owl, this person, and demand two tickets!" James cried.

"Wait? Why only two?" I questioned James, puzzled.

"One for you, one for me." James grinned.

"What about Sirius and your Dad?" I asked him.

"Oh yeah! One for Sirius." James smiled writing it down.

"What about your dad?" I asked, again.

"We're old enough to go on our own." James said coldly. I dropped it.

"Do you think if I invited Lily she would come?" James asked me, and I laughed.

"No." I told him truthfully.

"What if you invited her?" James asked, and I could see the wheels turning in his head.

"Maybe, she doesn't really like Quidditch though. I doubt she'll jump on the oppurtunity to go to a game, but maybe if I invite Alice and Marlene..." I trailed off thinking.

"And I could invite Peter and Remus! And It'll be like a huge reunion!" James exclaimed banging his fist on the table.

"Can I borrow your owl?" I asked James.

"Yeah sure." James said before whistling.

Two minutes later his owl came down, and I got some parchment and quills from a house elf. I quickly wrote a letter to Marlene, Lily, and Alice. And since James was taking so long I reserved 8 seats too, writing the check out in my name.

"Wow wow wow, you are not paying for all of us!" James exclaimed, grabbing the paper, looking at it with wide eyes.

"I'm not poor you know." I said taking the paper back.

"Still, you shouldn't waste your money like this." James huffed.

"Neither should you!" I exclaimed.

"This won't even make a dent in my personal bank account, let alone the Potter Vault." James told me.

"In muggle money my father's a billionaire, we're almost as rich as you in wizarding money. I think I can handle a few tickets to a Quidditch game." I told him. I didn't want to say it, but I might actually be more rich than he is. My father hated the way my famous grandparents live, hence he bought a 40 foot sail boat, stocked it with food, and went out to sea.

"Fine but I pay for hotel expenses, and food while we're there." James gave in.

"Great, now let's go play Quidditch!" I exclaimed, finding it a little odd that neither James or I had to ask our Parents to go to a Quidditch game. James seemed to be under the impression that they wouldn't care or notice, and I didn't have any parents to tell.

It was cloudy, but hot. The air was heavy and muggy, the clouds in the distance held rain, and looked like they were ready to pour out any second, but James and I acted like we didn't even notice it. We walked through the perfect lawn. I was amazed to see that James had a full sized Quidditch field, and a shed, and stands. It wasn't as amazing as Hogwarts, but it was still considerably cool. I ran to the shed, and looked through the brooms, my own broom was up in my bedroom, but the brooms in the shed were just as amazing.

"Holy Shit, why don't I live on land." I breathed in amazement.

"Have you been practicing?" James asked me when I took a broom down.

"Yeah, I got my broom coated in salt, and I got it wet. Did you know brooms work under water?" I asked him laughing, James eyebrow's shot up.

"You mean we can fly our brooms into the Great Lake? What have we been doing all these years?!" James asked surprised.

"I have no idea." I chuckled, and I mounted the broom, and grabbed a Beater Bat. I flew into the air grinning at James.

"Tag?" I asked him, and he nodded exuberantly.

I shot into the air, weaving around tree's and around the manor. I grew close to running into a window a few times, but it threw James off my path.

But in the end, I was a Beater, I didn't Practice agility, I practiced hitting balls at other people and Stamina. So when I tried to fake James, he was onto me before I even turned up, and he tagged me.

I angrily huffed, and set out after James, swerving all of his intricate moves, getting hit in the face with a branch along the way.

I had to call a time out when I tasted blood in my mouth. It turns out I had a nasty cut under my eye on my cheek.

"Hey Scar!" James asked, laughing at me.

"Shut up you asshat." I bit out at him, he just rolled his eyes.

We walked inside and houselves rushed up to me, and made my cut go away. It started raining, and I sighed. Now we had nothing to do.

"I'm bored." I huffed.

"I could teach you how to prank other people!" James exclaimed jumping up, I raised my eyebrows.

"Okay." I told him.

"Great, we have to go to Diagon Ally! Get dressed!" James cried running up the Bannister. I climbed up after him.

I walked into my temporary room. I brushed my hair so it looked neater, and I pulled on my wizarding robes. I pulled on shoes, my feet protesting at their stupidness. I grabbed my bag, and threw all the galleon's I had stored in my trunk in the bag.

I slid down the bannister, landing a lot nicer than I had the first time. James came down less then a minute later and we walked to the Floo.

"Diagon Ally." James pronounced enunciating all of the words.

"Diagon Ally." I repeated stepping into the fire pit.

James and I walked closely, ignoring the stares from all of the people walking down the street. Come to think of it, it was because we were both wearing bright red cloaks, our Gryffindor pride evident. None of us had our heads down, like most of the people walking down the street, talking in hushed voices, and walking with purpose, like the quicker they got out of the street the better.

Our voices echoed around the square. People gave us a dirty look before returning to their hunched position.

"The Shops down this street." James told me.

We walked down the street, and I screamed, when a jack in the box jumped out at me. James started laughing so hard he had to support his weight on his knee's. People walking around us turned to give us funny looks. I was blushing like crazy, but soon even I dissolved into laughter at how stupid I had been.

But my laughter stopped shortly, and James looked up at me, mirth still evident in his eyes.


End file.
